Control mechanism for toy



Jan. 17, 1956 c. H. VAUGHAN CONTROL MECHANISM FOR TOY Filed Nov. 30 1950INVENTOR.

6&df/f6 BY United States Patent CONTROL MECHANISM FOR TOY Charles H.Vaughan, Pontiac, Mich. Application November 30, 1950, Serial No.198,333

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-210) The present invention relates to a toy of thetype adapted to travel on the ground and to improved meansfor-propelling and steering or guiding the toy.

An object of the invention is to provide simple, economicallymanufactured and assembled means for propelling and guiding a toy of theforegoing nature, such as a wheeled toy vehicle by way of example,whereby movement of the toy may be readily controlled by a child.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide means forpropelling and steering a toy of the type adated to travel on theground, comprising a shaft declined toward the toy and adapted at itsupper end to be gripped by the operator, the shaft having at its lowerend a portion extending angularly with respect to the longitudinal axisof the shaft generally in the direction of travel and being pivotallyconnected to the toy for turning about the axis of extension. By such aconstruction the toy may be pulled or pushed along the ground as thecase might be by the operator gripping the upper end of the shaft. Uponturning the shaft about its longitudinal axis, the lower angularextension will be swung accordingly so as to steer the toy as it ispropelled.

In a very simple embodiment of the invention, the shaft and extensioncomprise an integral length of resilient wire having sufficient rigidityto control the weight of the toy without undue torsional deflection.However the shaft and extension may be separate units, flexibly orpivotally connected so as to swing the extension bodily upon turning ofthe shaft about its longitudinal axis and also to permit verticalswinging of the shaft about its lower end independently of the lowerextension. Thus the height of the upper end of the shaft may be readilyadjusted for children of different sizes.

Another object is to provide a simple control means of the foregoingnature comprising a shaft declined toward the toy and flexibly connectedthereto by resilient means, whereby turning of the shaft about itslongitudinal axis will cause the toy to turn or swing, the resilientmeans also permitting vertical swinging of the shaft about its lower endas aforesaid. In a preferred construction, the resilient means comprisesa coil spring secured at one end to the lower end of the shaft so as toturn therewith and secured at its lower end to the shaft so as to turntherewith and secured at its lower end to the toy so as to swing thesame in an operating movement, as for example about a vertical axis in asteering movement.

Still another object is to provide a walking toy adapted to stand on apair of legs, the toy being operated by the shaft and extension asdiscussed above so as to swing the toy bodily in an oscillatingmovement, first on one leg then on the other, as it is propelled in asimulated walking movement.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

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Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a toy vehicle andcontrol means embodying the present in-- vention.

Fig. 2 is substantially a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig.l, a portion of the vehicle body being. broken away to illustrate theconstruction and the vehicle being shown in phantom steered both to theleft and to the right.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view looking from above and oneside, showing a modification of the present invention including apivotal connection between the control shaft and angular lowerextension, a fragment of the vehicle body being illustrated in phantom.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of another embodiment of the presentinvention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view of still another embodiment of thepresent invention, showing the same applied to a walking bear.

Fig. 6 is substantially a front view of the structure illustrated inFig. 5, showing the bear tilted on one foot in solid view and tilted onthe other foot in phantom.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyemployed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, an application of the presentinvention is illustrated by way of example with a toy automobile havinga body 9 adapted to travel on wheels 10. Steering and propulsion of theautomobile are accomplished by means of a forwardly declined controlshaft 11 having an integral horizontal forward extension 12 at its lowerend. In the present instance, the extension 12 projects pivotallythrough. longitudinally spaced openings 13 and 14 located respectivelyin the rear body wall and in a transverse member 15 of the body 9 andterminates at its forward end in an integral right angle retainerportion 12a bent closely against the forward face of the transversemember 15. Rearward of the opening 13, the shaft 11 extends angularlyupward and rearward to a handle element 16, as for example a toysteering wheel securely keyed to the shaft 11 for pushing or pullingthereon or for turning the same about its longitudinal axis.

The shaft 11 and integral extensions 12 and 12a preferably comprise anintegral length of spring wire having suflicient rigidity to propel thetoy automobile without undue buckling when force is applied at the wheel16. The length of the shaft portion 11 is determined so that the wheel16 may be conveniently gripped by the operator.

By the construction shown and described, when the operator turns thewheel 16 clockwise, for example, looking downward along the shaft 11,the latter is also turned clockwise and the lower extension 12 is swungin a steering action to the right, Fig. 2. Steering to the left issimilarly accomplished by turning the shaft 11 counterclockwise. Byreason of the pivotal connections at 13 and 14 between the extension 12and body 9, the latter is maintained by gravity in a level position onthe floor. The tendency to swing the body 9 downward, particularly atits front end upon swinging of the extension 12 in either direction fromstraight ahead, solid view Fig. 2, is absorbed by a slight flexing orbowing of the resilient shaft 11 during the steering operation. Thus thetoy automobile may be propelled forward or rearward along the ground ora floor and simultaneously steered by manipulation of the handle elementor wheel 16.

Where adjustment of the height of the handle wheel 16 is desired, thelower end of the shaft 11 is flexibly or Patented Jan. 17, 1956'hingedly coupled to the extension 12, so as to swing the latter about avertical steering axis as illustrated in Fig. 2 upon turning of theshaft 11 about its longitudinal axis, and also to permit. generallyvertical, swinging of: the shaft, 11 independently of the extension 12..An example, of such a coupling is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the ex;tension lzispivotally connected to the body 9; as in Figs.

1 and 2,. but terminates at its. rearward end in a short. right angle.extension. 12b. Similarly the lower end of the shaft 11 terminates in ashort right angle extension 11b parallel to the extension 1215. Theextensions 11b and 121;. preferably extend horizontally when theautomobile isin the normal position for steering; straight ahead, solidview Fig, 2, and are held. together side by side. by a U-shaped band, oryoke 17 having its ends spaced by the.

extension 12.b.and preferably fixedthereto, as for example by soldering.The band 17 loops freely around the extension 11b so as to permitgenerally vertical swinging of the shaft; 11 about the axis of. the.extension 11b. Translational movement, of, the extension 11b withrespect to the extension 12b is prevented by the body of the shaft 11'adjacent one. side of the band 17 and a retainer 18 suitably secured tothe end of the extension 11b on the other sideof the band 17.

By the above construction, rotational movement of the shaft 11 about itslongitudinal axis will be imparted to the extension 12, causing thelatter to swing in a steering movement as discussed above. However theshaft 11 is also pivotal generally vertically about the axis of theextension llb, permitting the handle wheel 16. to be readily operated bychildren of different sizes,

Another simple and universally adjustable control mechanism isillustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the extension 12.,iseliminated. The lowerend of the shaft 11 is secured coaxially. to one end of a coil spring 19for rotation thereof. The other end of the spring 19 is suitably securedrigidly to the body 9, as for example to a horizontal surface thereof.Thus rotational movement of the shaft 11 about its longitudinal axis isimparted to the coil spring19, rotating the same axially and in turnswinging the body. 9 about a vertical axis. This constructionpermitssubstantially universal adjustment of the elevation and angularposition of the shaft 11, so that the operator need not stand directlybehind the toy to operate it. This construction also has the advantageof being exceptionally simple and economical to install and. efficientin operation. 7

Figs, and 6 illustrate another application of the present invention inconnection with a toy walking: bear 20 In this instance the shaft.

having two rigid hind legs 21. 11 declines toward the back of the bear-20 and is provided with an integral forwardly inclined extension. 22.-comparable to. the extension 12 of Figs. 1 and 2. The: extension 22 ispivotally secured within the body of. the-- bear 2.0. for turning aboutthe axis of extension and is suitably retained in position, as for.example by means..-of:

e e x ens n 22.. need. no e inclined. asshown and. may extendhorizontally as in Figs. 1 and 2, or even downward if the body structureof the toy requires. It is apparent from the foregoing that upon turningthe shaft 11 clockwise for example, looking down along. its longitudinalaxis, the extension 22 will be swung to the right, as seen from therear, tilting the bear onto the right leg, Fig. 6, and also turning thebear somewhat to the right as discussed in connection with Figs. 1' and2'. By virtue of the incline of the extension 22, this: latter turningmovement will be less pronounced than in Figs. 1 and 2 where the,extension 12. is horizontal. Upon pushing forward on the shaft 11, thebear tilted. on the right leg will swing the left leg forward.Thereafter, upon turning the shaft 11 counterclockwise, the bear will betilted onto the forwardly extending left leg. Continued forward pressureon the shaft 11 will cause the bear to turn to the left, swinging theright leg forward. Thus a simulated Walking movement is effected underthe-'controlt of the operator. It is also to be noted that either of themodifications illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 maybe employed with-thewalking toy, so as to tilt the same from one sideto the other in asimulated walking movement.

I claim:

1. In a toy adapted to. travel along the ground, manually operated meansfor propelling the toy and bodily swinging one end thereof comprising aunitary shaft having a lower horizontal portion pivoted on said toy"andextending longitudinally thereof, the pivot axis of saidlower portionbeing fixed with respect to the toy and coaxial with the longitudinalaxis of said lower: portion, said shaft having a resilient inclinedportion extending upwardly from said horizontal portion adjacent theother end, of the toy, and means adjacent the upper end of the inclinedportion adapted to be gripped by an operator.

2'. In a toyadapted to travel along the ground, manually operated meansfor propelling and swinging the toybodily comprising a unitary resilientwire shaft having a horizontal lower portion and an inclined portionmeeting at an obtuse angle, said lower portion extending in thedirection of travel of said toy and being pivoted there'on, the pivotaxis of said lower portion being fixed withre-.

spect to said toy and coaxial with said lower portion, saidinclinedportion extending upwardly from said lower por tion adjacent therear end of said toy, and handle means on the upper end of said inclinedportion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

